The Author's Will

50 | Mirrored Blades

　　 The season of spring had passed slowly yet suddenly in Laydel — as time continued onwards toward the grand banquet, a celebration for the nation's victory in war. The last few months had been eventful for House Cherliann.

The threat of dark magic had quietened but not diminished, as River's meticulous investigation discovered the existence of a secret guild — one Ms Cather was very familiar with. With Snow's help, they looked into the deceased maid's past, but found little to no information about the organisation.

Cunning beyond all expectation, they had managed to cut all their ties to places and people to keep their identities a secret, leaving River and his private investigative crew at a loss. All they knew, was that the guild had an unusual crest - displaying a bird shot by an arrow, with an upturned beak.

But they didn't let that stop them. In the end, both River and Snow had their hands full trying to discover more about this secret guild. Not a single word of their research had been spoken of to anyone other than Rudien, or those working on the case.

On top of that, the mage and phoenix also had a certain lion spirit to find. The two certainly had their work cut out for them.

Meanwhile, Rudien ensured Prince Mikael was safe from further harm, taking it upon himself to train and teach the boy to defend himself like a veteran knight. And since his newly-awakened affinity for magic was so powerful, the duke saw to it that Mikael also received lessons from another mage adept in combat magic.

Two months had already gone by, and the manor was a buzz of activity. The knights of Laydel who had been recovering and cleaning up the aftermath of war, were to return home to Laydel in a week. The victory banquet was only days away from now, and as Irene collapsed onto her bed after another arduous dance lesson, she couldn't help but wonder about how things would go.

Inevitably, the banquet was a central plot point in Irene's original novel, and in order for it to be a success, she would have to ensure Prince Daniel and Isabella talked to each other somehow. After all, it was because of the heroine's words that he finally received the push he needed into becoming a brave ruler. Not to mention — it was the fated first meeting between the leading couple of the story.

This event was one thing Irene wanted to happen the same way it did originally, opposed to letting it change.

The victory banquet would also be the first time Mikael would see his brother in a while, so she was curious about how they'd react to meeting again, in front of all of the aristocrats who would be eyeing them like hawks. But as long as the Cherlianns displayed their strong support for Mikael, no one would be able to insult him.

Not to mention, word of his potent affinity for ice magic spread throughout the empire like a wildfire — and changed many of the noble's opinions on him. After all, magic was a favoured trait and having stronger powers would receive people's praise. Irene remembered hearing Rudien say to some of his vassals during a meeting, that the second prince was likely going to be gaining some support for running as emperor.

As Irene rummaged through the drawers in her bedroom, she pulled out her lilac diary where all her notes on the original story were written. Flicking through the pages carefully, she stopped at the part where everything about the victory banquet was mentioned.

The returning soldiers were due to arrive in about six days, and they would be welcomed back in a parade through the main streets of Laydel, before dispersing outside the new imperial palace. They would be led by Rudien — sporting a red cloak to reflect his leadership and prowess. And in the end, the knights would return to their homes to spend time with family and friends, taking their winnings with them.